Department of Health and Social Care

Operating Theatres: Fires

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that all instances of fires in operating theatres across NHS England are reported to the Care Quality Commission.

Lord Markham: Health and care providers in England are not required to report all surgical fires to the Care Quality Commission (CQC), except for those considered to be a serious incident. If the incident is serious, CQC is notified through the transfer of Strategic Executive Information System.If CQC notes any fire safety concerns during an inspection, the provider gets referred to the local fire authority for them to take the appropriate action.Any unexpected or unintended incident which could have or did lead to harm to one or more patients can be recorded on the Learn from Patient Safety Events service, to support local and national learning. This would include incidents caused by surgical fires or burns. Providers are encouraged to foster a positive safety culture among their staff, and ensure an appropriate local focus on incident recognition, recording, and response.

Mental Health Services: Prisoners

Lord Bradley: To ask His Majesty's Government how many people entering prison underwent reception screening for mental health issues; and how many of these were undertaken by a person with a recognised mental health qualification, in each of the last five years.

Lord Markham: Everyone coming into prison either from courts or transfer from another prison or on remission from a psychiatric unit receives the first reception screening. This screening is based on National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines and includes questions on a person’s mental health. The clinicians undertaking the initial reception screening could be either a general nurse or a mental health nurse. We do not have the breakdown of those that undertake reception screenings when seeing prisoners and their qualifications.Any patient that requires further support or investigations for physical or mental health conditions is appropriately referred on to the relevant team. It is important to note that the initial health screen on reception is to keep people safe in the first few days. A more comprehensive second screening is undertaken within seven days of arrival.

Disability and Death

Baroness Altmann: To ask His Majesty's Government what are the top five causes of (1) disability, and (2) premature death, in England; and how the NHS plans to mitigate or reduce each cause.

Lord Markham: The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study provides a comprehensive picture of mortality and disability across countries, time, age, and sex. It quantifies health loss from hundreds of diseases, injuries, and risk factors, so that health systems can be improved and disparities eliminated.According to the data for England published by the GBD study in 2019, the top 5 causes of years lived with disability for England were low back pain, diabetes, depressive disorders, headache disorders and falls.Data for 2022 for England indicates that the five leading causes of death aged under 75 were cancers, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, deaths from external causes, and digestive system diseases.On the 24 January 2023, we announced our plan to publish the Major Conditions Strategy. This strategy will explore how we can tackle the key drivers of ill-health in England, reduce pressure on the NHS and reduce ill-health related labour market inactivity.To deliver on these objectives, the strategy will focus on tackling the six major conditions groups – cancers, mental ill-health, cardiovascular disease (including stroke and diabetes), dementia, chronic respiratory diseases, and musculoskeletal disorders – that account for around 60% of ill-health and early death in England.Focusing on these groups of conditions that contribute most to mortality and morbidity will allow us to focus our efforts on the key actions needed to achieve our Levelling-Up mission to gain five extra years of Healthy Life Expectancy by 2035.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Guyana: Venezuela

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the current threat to the territorial integrity of Guyana posed by Venezuela.

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are giving Guyana to deter any aggressive territorial activity by Venezuela.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are concerned by the recent steps taken by Venezuela. The UK's position is clear: the border was settled in 1899 through international arbitration. The Foreign Secretary has reassured President Ali of this. The UK continues to engage with regional partners and international bodies to de-escalate tensions.I [Minister Rutley] visited Guyana on 18 December. HMS Trent also visited on 29/30 December as a further signal of support for Guyana's sovereign borders.The UK welcomes the Argyle Declaration signed by Venezuela and Guyana in St Vincent and the Grenadines on 14 December, which makes clear that Venezuela is to refrain from the use of force and any further escalation.

Treasury

Revenue and Customs: Prosecutions

Lord Bradshaw: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 20 December 2023 (HL1133), whether the prosecutions referred to are for income tax or VAT offences, and what assessment they have made of the sufficiency of the resources targeting these offences.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The prosecutions and convictions referenced in the answer I gave on 20 December 2023 to PQ HL1133 relate to all HMRC compliance related offences irrespective of tax head.HMRC’s aim is for everyone to pay the tax that is legally due, no matter who they are. It has achieved a long-term reduction in the UK’s tax gap from 7.5% in 2005-06 to 4.8% in 2021-22.HMRC tailors compliance activity, including allocation of resources, depending on the level of risk in each tax head, but also on customer behaviours and capability. This allows the Department to identify compliance risks and customer needs, and adapt its approach where necessary – to offer more support to help people get their tax right, or to take targeted action against avoidance, evasion and criminal attacks.The most effective way it can ensure the right tax is paid is through the overall design of the tax system – improving processes to remove opportunities for error and fraud, and taking preventative action to educate and help customers get their taxes right first time.Criminal investigation, with a view to prosecution, is an important part of HMRC’s overall compliance strategy. HMRC will conduct criminal investigations and seek criminal prosecutions where the behaviour displayed is such that only a criminal sanction is appropriate, or where a criminal prosecution will act as a strong deterrent.The rules are the same for everyone, but tailoring the approach helps HMRC to respond in the most targeted, proportionate and effective way.The resource available for HMRC and its compliance work is agreed with ministers at Spending Reviews and Fiscal Events. The agreed level is shaped by economic factors and enables HMRC to carry out the compliance activity required to maintain a stable tax gap over the medium term.

Politically Exposed Persons

Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the letter fromBaroness Penn toLord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts on 22 August 2023, when they expect to publish the interim report on the review of treatment of Politically Exposed Persons by financial institutions.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 committed the Financial Conduct Authority to conduct, and publish the conclusions of, a review into how financial institutions are following its guidance on politically exposed persons (PEPs) by the end of June 2024. As set out in the Written Statement on the treatment of PEPs published on 14 December 2023, given the strength of concern on this issue, the Government expects that the FCA will prioritise this review over the coming months.

Cabinet Office

Government Assistance: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government how many approvals have been sought from the European Commission for state aid in Northern Ireland since the coming into force of the Northern Ireland Protocol; what are these approvals; and what estimate they have made of the total amount of funds forwhich approval has been sought.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Windsor Framework addressed the risk of "reach back" of EU state aid rules and, based on past experience, ensures that more than 98% of aid can be granted without notification, preserving the functioning of the UK internal market. This sits alongside the uniquely generous arrangements for agricultural subsidies in Northern Ireland under the Framework. Under the old Protocol, there were 11 cases that required EU approval. Since the Windsor Framework, there has been only one such case, the Energy  Bills Discount Scheme, which was resolved in order to ensure a UK-wide subsidy scheme, and continuing access to the EU market for all manufacturers in scope.